Homeowners not leveraging available technology to reduce energy costs and emissions: Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric, leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today released the third edition of its consumer survey in a white paper titled Evolving home energy consumption: Intentions, actions and hurdles to greater home energy efficiency. It surveyed 13,000 people from 11 countries across the world uncovering global attitudes toward household energy efficiency, sustainability and smart home technology.

Home energy consumption is the main driver of home emissions and has increased steadily over recent years with the spread of energy-consuming devices and appliances. This trend, coupled with skyrocketing energy costs and dramatic real-life impacts of climate change, has driven awareness of home energy consumption.

Given this, the report focuses on behaviors, barriers and readiness to adopt energy-saving solutions. Notably, this year’s results highlight a wide gap between awareness and action. 82 percent of respondents consider energy efficiency “somewhat important” or “very important,” whilst 84 percent said energy efficiency is the top desired home improvement, and 70 percent responded that reducing their carbon footprint is ‘important’ to them.

However, only a few are taking the most impactful actions to reduce their energy consumption; just 44 percent regularly adjust their ambient temperatures, despite this being one of the highest-impact actions. At the same time, 58 percent of homeowners turn off lights as their primary strategy for saving energy, while lighting only comprising around 5 percent of electricity bills. The second-most popular method, unplugging unused chargers (48 percent), also has minimal impact — saving only $0.26 per charger annually.

The report reveals another overemphasis on lighting when it comes to the types of home energy technology consumers have in their homes, with 52 percent of consumers believing that smart lighting enhances energy efficiency. While 24 percent own smart lighting, only 21 percent have a smart thermostat, with less than half (46 percent) acknowledging its energy-saving benefits, despite evidence showing it could reduce bills by up to 30 percent annually.

For the first time, the survey explored attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI). Despite predictions that AI and automation could help mitigate up to 10 percent of global GHG emissions, 44 percent of respondents said they would never rely on AI for household tasks, 35 percent don’t fully understand it, and 41 percent want to actively avoid it. In addition, 52 percent believe smart home technology is too expensive, even though connected homes can achieve energy savings of up to 22 percent.

The survey also shows an awareness gap for more traditional home technology: 30 percent of respondents don’t know what their electrical panel does, and 16 percent don’t know its location. The electrical panel is at the heart of the home’s power system and acts as the gatekeeper for ensuring the safety of electrical devices and appliances, therefore this lack of knowledge poses potential serious safety risks if the condition of the panel is ignored as homes become more electrified.

“Consumers want to reduce their energy bill, increase their energy reliability and increase energy efficiency in their homes. Yet, there exists a gap between intention and action. The technology to enhance home energy efficiency exists today but there is a lack of awareness of the most impactful ways to deploy it,” said Michael Lotfy Gierges, Executive Vice President of Home & Distribution at Schneider Electric. “Through greater electrification and digitalization, home energy use can be better measured, controlled and transitioned to more renewable sources.”